CrimsonE

Given that this is an extension of the Time Machine tour and not a CA tour as had been suggested earlier, they'll probably do minimal set rotation, especially since they're filming the Cleveland show on this leg. That also makes me wonder when Clockwork Angels will come out and when the following tour will indeed be. With that being said, I'm expecting only a few cosmetic changes, and these would be ones I'd like to see: Where's My Thing for Leave that Thing Alone--I'm sick of seeing the weakest of their 90's instrumentals get all the live play. I'd rather hear WMT or even Limbo. Resist Acoustic for Alex solo: I think they can squeeze in one more song, and I don't think they'll ditch CTTH. Xanadu for 2112: A shortened version of this song leading into Far Cry would be pretty cool.

My guess is that the upcoming list will include fewer classic surprises, with more focus on Clockwork Angels. They might throw in one or two 80's/90's twists (Perhaps Show Don't Tell, Analog Kid and Test for Echo), while keeping a couple of them from the last tour (Presto/Marathon/Stick it Out). Depending in their confidence with CWA, they'll play at least 60% and possibly all of it. They might also bring back some S&A songs they didn't get around to this time (perhaps Main Monkey Business). As for the classic material (MP and before), they'll probably stick with the staples (TS, YYZ, Limelight, Spirit of Radio, 2112 Overture/Temples, Closer to the Heart, and possibly La Villa Straingato). I don't forsee too many surprises, although this would be a good tour to break out Jacob's ladder, as has been rumored for a while.

Iron Maiden is an interesting live act, who almost always delivers in terms of performance. From the boots I hear, the only time IM disappointed was in 1993, when Bruce was on his way out and pretty much half-assed it. In terms of their sets, IM has two types. There is the album-oriented setlist, with a lot of focus on the new material and not much in the way of adventure in the back catelogue, with the standards getting the play. On the other hand, their are their GH tours, which almost always provide something interesting. Metallica is usually pretty good with their sets, and they've been mixing things up quite nicely on the last two tours, although both have had some structure. One band not mentioned is Dream Theater, who usually have a different set every night. The recent exception is their current tour with Maiden, which has limited their flexibility. Still, when they've headlined, or even co-headlined, they've almost always brought an interesting setlist, which can even include a cover or two (or even an entire album if they have an "evening with" tour.

QUOTE (presto123 @ Jul 4 2010, 09:43 PM) So are you from Milwaukee? What a breath taking view from Marcus! Still think that's the neatest layout I've seen of the outdoor sheds. I spent my undergraduate and two graduate years at Marquette University in Milwaukee, but I currently live in Ohio, and drove up to the show from there, visiting my family in Chicago on the way. Unfortunately, Rush is not playing the Cleveland area (I live about 5 miles away from the outdoor venue), so I decided to make the trip, and it was definitely worth it. BTW, I agree about the Marcus, as it is one of the better outdoor layouts, and it is beautiful to watch the lakefront. Plus, it was fun to attend Summerfest once again, even if just about everything is overpriced.

Finally got the chance to get to a computer, so let me offer my thoughts about the Milwaukee show. As far as Rush shows I've seen go, I'd say it's somewhere in the middle, which is still head & shoulders above most other bands. The technical gaffs were pretty notable here, but then again, Rush often has problems in Milwaukee. I remember seeing them on the T4E tour where Alex's guitar went out early and Geddy and Neil had to kill time with a short country music jam. I have no major complaints about the setlist, with the possible exception of LTTA, which is the weakest of their 90's instrumentals. I would rather have seen Where's My Thing. Also, Freewill could have been replaced with a deeper classic cut, but I don't know what. What I liked about this show was that it featured quiet a few songs that haven't been done in a while, including Time Stand Still, Marathon and Stick it Out, along with a couple that have never been played live. My highlight of the evening was Presto, and this was an amazing version, which makes me wonder why they hadn't played it live before now. The two newer tracks fit in very nicely, but I liked BU2B the best. Then the MP set. Perhap's its the fact that much of it had been played already in the last few tours, but it didn't come across as special as I thought it would be. The Camera Eye was a highlight, but the rest was simply good. I'm not sure what others thought of the drum solo, but I thought it was pretty tepid compared to what Peart usually does. I'm not sure if it's age, or simply Neil's personal tastes, but he's relying a bit too heavily on the samples, and this was pretty much throughout the solo. It still sounded pretty decent, but far below what I expect of him. The accoustic solo into Closer to the Heart was very good, and I liked the reworking of the third verse. Far Cry was an unusual way to end the regular set (I thought they'd go with one of the standards), but the encore was about as good as it gets--or it would have been if not for the guitar problems. Finally, I'm of two minds about the closing video. It was funny and yet touching, but it was a bit too long and perhaps might have been better served as an intro vid of some type. All in all, a very good evening, and one that shows that Rush is still one of the best live acts today. Perhaps I might catch them later this tour, but I will definitely see them next year (as always).

Typical Rush in that it is different enough from what came before that you can't quite grasp it, and it may take a few listens to really get into it. A few impressions though: Musically, Caravan reminds me of the material Geddy was doing on My Favorite Headache while BU2B reminds me a bit of the harder material on Victor. And both rock quite nicely. Where the songs seem to fall short is Geddy's vocals, which aren't as strong as usual. I'm not sure if it's the vocals themselves or the production, but they don't come across as crisp as they should. Still, both songs sound pretty solid, and they should smoke live, especially BU2B. BTW, any reason why they are naming the song BU2B instead of the full lyric "Brought up to Believe?"

Classic or not, I'd like to see the return of Marathon. and Time Stand Still.

IMO, Limelight was too mid-tempo, as was Tom Saywer (although Sawyer really got the crowd pumped at the outset). Force Ten was decent, but I'd have to say the best of all their openers (that I've seen live) was Dreamline for the CP and T4E tours. It was really a driving song, and you knew the show was going to kick ass when the band kicks in on the second part of the first verse. As far as openers for the upcoming tour, I'd say Far Cry is a solid bet, but they could easily go the nostalgia route that they've been taking and continue with an older song.

I'm also very disappointed that they're not going to be in NE Ohio, especially since I live only four miles from the Blossom. When I lived in Knoxville, I traveled 3 1/2 hours to see them in Atlanta in 2007, and 4 hours to see them in Cincinnatti in 2008. And before then, I had to travel 2+ hours from Champaign/Urbana to catch them in either Chicago or Indianapolis. Oh well. Since I'm not working this summer I figured I'll go catch them in Summerfest in Milwaukee, and visit my family in Chicago that weekend.

Since Rush are playing a few smaller venues, some of them are likely to sell out, particularly in the bigger cities. However, I doubt that they'll sell out right away, particularly given the economy and the pricing levels for the top-level tickets.

Here's a list that is more optimistic than realistic, with more than a few surprises, plus many of the usual standards and the returns of a few favorites. Set 1 Far Cry Marathon Animate Subdivisions Freewill New Song Closer to the Heart Secret Touch Show Don't Tell Working Them Angels One Little Victory Set 2 Tom Saywer Red Barchetta YYZ Limelight The Camera Eye Witch Hunt Vital Signs Mean Monkey Business Drum Solo Lakeside Park (Accoustic) Closer To the Heart (accoustic-> electric) Hemispheres Prelude A Passage to Bangkok The Spirit of Radio Encore Dreamline 2112-Temples of Syrinx Working Man

Loss of hearing is no joke for those who have it. Due to a combination of birth defects, extensive surgery on both ears, and music, I now have lost about 25% of the hearing in my left ear, and 50% in my right. And this is WITH using earplugs since the early 90's. In fact, I couldn't stand the high frequencies, especially in my left ear. I didn't even know how bad it had gotten, although it was frustrating seeing people speak at a conversational level, but not being able to hear what they were saying. Last year, I finally got the word, and as a result, I got a hearing aid--which is not cheap. I got lucky, as I was able to get it through the speech department at the university where I teach and thus only paid about $600, but normally it runs at least a grand. On the bright side, the ear mold does make for a nice sound reducer when the hearing ad is turned off. I'm only 40, and things are certainly not going to be better, so please do yourself a favor and spend a few bucks on some type of protection for your ears--even if you don't frequent concerts that much, and even if it's only Rush (which can get quite loud live due to all of the effects their show has). You may not necessarily appreciate having your hearing when you get older, but you'll wish you had it if you lose it.

My guess is that MP takes up much of the second set, with Vital Signs leading into the drum solo.

I don't know if this was a factor, but I also think that the weaker setlist for the second leg might have killed it for some of the hardcore fans who saw the 1st leg and caught the spoilers.

Great announcement!!!! Unfortunately, there aren't any Cleveland area dates, so I'll have to make a road trip. Normally, I'd consider Columbus or Pittsburgh, but I'm not even certain I'll be leaving there in the late summer and fall, so I'll probably catch the Chicago show and visit my family for the 4th of July. As far as the setlist is concerned, having MP in its entirety will be fun, and at least the long-time fans who've been clamoring for TCE will be satisfied. Personally, I thought this would have been a good time to do Permanent Waves in its entirety since this is the 30th anniversary of that album, and we'd get to see Jacob's ladder and Different Strings for the first time in a while. As for predictions, pretty much the same Rush show as usual. The band has been hinting at a couple of new songs, so if they're ready to go we'll see a preview of the new album. We'll also likely see the usual mix of newer and older tunes, with plenty of the "standards" as well as the songs that have been in and out of the setlist (e.g. Big Money, Animate, Red Sector A). We'll also get a few surprises, both from the 80's and 90's, and probably one mega surprise from the 70's. It will be awesome--and people will bitch because it's not awesome enough.